ALBERTA MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION Annual Report 2020 Contents Messages ............................................ 3 About the AMA ..................................... 6 Knowledge Building ................................ 7 Conference 2019 ................................. 7 Certificate in Museum Studies .................. 9 Learning Opportunities .......................... 10 Mentorship Program ............................... 11 Recognized Museum Program ..................... 12 Grants ................................................ 13 Awards ............................................... 15 Membership and Advisory Services ............... 17 Behind the Scenes at the AMA .................... 19 Communications ................................... 20 Community Engagement .......................... 21 Advocacy ............................................ 22 Looking Forward .................................... 23 © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved by the Alberta Museums Association. The Alberta Museums Association gratefully acknowledges the ongoing financial support of Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women. 2 Annual Report 2020 Message from the LieutenantMessage Governor of Albertafrom the Message from the Minister Lieutenant Governor of Culture, Multiculturalism of Alberta and Status of Women It is my sincere pleasure to As the Minister of Culture, serve as Honourary Patron Multiculturalism and Status It is my sincere pleasure to serve as Honourary Patron of theof Alberta the Alberta Museums Museums of Women, I am honoured Association. I love exploring the Alberta stories that you collectivelyAssociation. present I love through exploring to congratulate the Alberta our province’s excellent network of museums, and each visit theleaves Alberta me energized, stories that Museums Association on inspired and determined to learn even more. I’m sure that myyou fellow collectively Albertans present feel another excellent year the same way. through our province’s sharing Alberta’s history excellent network of with people near and far. museums, and each visit While the rapid changes brought on in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic have leaves me energized, Our museums are vital presented a hurdle for our museums, I know that you are more than up to the inspired and determined cultural hubs. They bring challenge. You have always found innovative and effective ways to adapt and grow to learn even more. I’m sure that my fellow history, heritage and art together, but more your facilities to meet the demands ofAlbertans the day. feelI trust the that same spirit way. will continue to serve importantly, they bring people together. The you well as we move through this unprecedented time. story of our province is broad, full of knowledge While the rapid changes brought on in 2020 by the and connects us to the world. As Her Majesty the Queen’s representativeCOVID-19 in Alberta, pandemic I’d havelike to presented thank all ofa hurdle the for our dedicated museums professionals, volunteersmuseums, and I know supporters that you across are morethe province than up for to the The Alberta Museums Association has been integral your hard work throughout the year.challenge. I wish you You continued have always success found for manyinnovative more and in making this happen through programs, services, and grants that makes our museums shine. We are years to come! effective ways to adapt and grow your facilities to meet the demands of the day. I trust that spirit will proud of our long-standing partnership with the continue to serve you well as we move through Alberta Museums Association, and look forward this unprecedented time. to many more years to come. As Her Majesty the Queen’s representative in My thanks to all of the amazing staff and volunteers Alberta, I’d like to thank all of the dedicated of the association for your invaluable work in the museums professionals, volunteers and supporters heritage sector. You are keeping Alberta’s stories across the province for your hard work throughout alive for everyone to appreciate and enjoy, now and in the future. Her Honour, the Honourable Lois E.the Mitchell, year. I wish CM, youAOE, continued LLD success for many Lieutenant Governor of Alberta more years to come! The Honourable Leela Sharon Aheer Her Honour, the Honourable Lois E. Mitchell, Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and CM, AOE, LLD Status of Women Lieutenant Governor of Alberta BACK TO CONTENTS 3 Message from the Board President 2019 – 2020 has been a challenging year for the Alberta museum sector. We have seen the new provincial government put out their first full budget, which included a substantial cut to museum funding. We have also seen a steady decline in the province’s economy, one that has been further exacerbated by the unprecedented global pandemic that forced museums to close their doors in March. So, to say that it has been a difficult year is putting it lightly. Of course, you do not need me to tell you what a difficult year it has been. You, like me and many on the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) Board of Directors, have seen the impacts of the slowing economy and COVID-19 on our individual museum operations. This year, we, the AMA Board, focussed our advocacy efforts on engaging constructively with the current government to ensure the voices of Alberta’s museums are being heard. We hired Crestview Strategy Group, a government relations firm, to assist us in strengthening our skills and developing an effective, ongoing grassroots campaign. With the help of many of you, we contacted and organized meetings with several Members of the Legislative Assembly, including Minister Aheer, Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women. While there is more work to be done to improve funding to the sector and address further setbacks due to COVID-19, we are building these relationships, showing the government the value of Alberta’s museums and the need for government support to continue our work of preserving and showcasing Alberta’s rich history. The AMA Board is continuing to advocate on behalf of the membership, and we also strongly encourage you to be in contact with and share your needs with your local government officials. You know the value of your institution to your community. You know the value your staff and volunteers contribute in preserving local history, engaging with your visitors, and providing a safe space for meaningful connections. You have always been and still are the best advocates for your museum. Please know that we, as your Board of Directors, understand the difficult situations you may be facing, and we are here to listen and help however we can. We must remain united, hopeful, and resilient in these trying times. Continue to do the amazing work you are doing, and together we will show the world the value of museums. Breanna Suk President, AMA Board of Directors 4 BACK TO CONTENTS Annual Report 2020 Message from the Executive Director Every spring when I reflect on the last year at the Alberta Museums Association (AMA), I am always amazed at the amount of work we have accomplished, the progress we have made toward our goals, and the constant recurring theme of change. This year was no exception. While we may have seemed quiet, continuing to offer our regular slate of programs and services, internally we focussed on significant updates and upgrades that will help us better serve the membership and streamline our operations. The first major undertaking was the relaunch of the Recognized Museum Program, the result of a multi-year project that simplified the application process, contextualized applications for Review Panels, and provided the opportunity for institutions to strive for excellence through the new Leader component. The Secretariat and Board of Directors also worked diligently to achieve accreditation for the AMA through Imagine Canada, modelling best practice to the membership. We worked to create a new member management system that will digitize all our applications, accelerate internal processes, and allow us to better understand our connectivity in the sector. Concurrently, we relocated the AMA’s physical space – in the midst of a pandemic – to ensure the best use of our limited resources. Our staff worked on all these initiatives while continuing to provide the programs and services we know are valued by the membership and the greater museum community. While all this was happening behind the scenes, the Board and I also focussed our efforts on advocacy and government relations. We set out to build effective and constructive relationships with members of the new government, as well as increase the capacity of the membership to build their own relationships and boost their profiles in the community. All of this was with the aim of improving the sustainability of our organizations and enhancing recognition of our value across governments, private industry, and other sectors. Undoubtedly, we have made incredible progress in the last year. That said, the events of the last few months, including the pandemic, successive reductions in our allocations from government, and rapidly changing societal needs, will have lasting impacts on our sector and on the Association. As the world evolves and adapts, we are committed to being a leader for our community. Going forward, what we do may no longer look the same as it has, but it will build on the Association’s decades of hard work and forward thinking, and it will not be done in isolation. Our work over the next few years will focus